


..just let him go. (never).

by orphan_account



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends to Lovers, Gen, Holding Hands, M/M, No hets, in love!!!!!!!, kinda angst????, only gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27252025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Pope loves JJ. JJ loves Pope. No secret there.
Relationships: JJ/Pope (Outer Banks)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	..just let him go. (never).

**Author's Note:**

> rewrite of the
> 
> “jj!”  
> “wait man, don’t.”  
> “just let him go.”
> 
> scene because i’m so fucking mad at john b’s hetero ass for stopping pope from going after jj. idk why this fandom is dying but i’ll try to bring it back to life again? this is short, ik i just had no motivation. love y’all

“I took the fall for you, man! Do you know how much money I owe because of you?”

JJ never wanted to use something he _wanted_ to do for his best friend as something to use in a fight but he just did.

He could take shit from anyone. John B, Kiara, and even Sarah but never Pope. Never. He saw the way Pope had to blink after he yelled the words to him. Saw how he deflated and picked back up like it never happened.

Pope mustered up all the strength he could get, ”I said I would pay you back and I didn’t even ask you to do that!”

”I just did,” JJ yelled back, holding out the bag of money he’d stole from Barry just moments before. “Pay it back. Right here, right now, by myself. You know what? That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. Go off, by myself.”

The blond boy threw the bag around his shoulder and headed away from the junk ass van the Pogues used to drive to their little adventures. 

Pope looked at Sarah, not even a Pogue, shaking her head at JJ and _damn_ if that didn’t make him mad. She didn’t even have a say in this. Kiara, arms crossed, rolled her eyes as she watched from the sidelines, her jaw tight and her face strong. Everyone was done with his shit and yeah, so was Pope but he couldn’t just let his best friend leave like this.

So, he walked after the boy. He was no where in sight but he knew that he would be taking the route they came in.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, John B’s. 

“Hey, wait, man. Don’t!”

“Just let him go.”

And instead of staying, he went after his friend. He shrugged off John B’s shoulder harshly and ran until he could see the boy walking. And instead of being met with an angry JJ, a scowl on his face, he was met with tears inside of his blue eyes, a trembling bottom lip and shaking hands.

And Pope _melted_.

Immediately, he ran over and gave him the biggest hug ever, allowing him to grip at the shirt they both share together. 

Pope won’t admit that he let out tears as well.

He can hear JJ sob out an, “I’m sorry.”

Nope. Pope couldn’t hold in the tears anymore because, damn, he was so in love that it hurt. 

_That was new_.

So, two 16 year old boys stood there, clinging to each other like it would save their lives. Probably would. When they finally parted, Pope made the bold decision to wipe JJ’s tears before moving down to hold his hand, liking the way JJ immediately laced their fingers together like the perfect puzzle piece. 

Corny but.. whatever the fuck.

“That was fun.” Pope didn’t necessarily mean to say it, it just popped out. All worth it when JJ laughed. It wasn’t out of happiness but more of how ridiculous this whole situation was.

”Yeah, it was.”

Pope wanted to be reasonable by bringing this up but he didn’t want JJ’s ghost of a smile flip to a frown. He had no choice.

”JJ,” he started, going down to JJ’s gaze which was fixed on their hands. “Did you.. were you going to give this to your dad? You need to give it back.”

”I need to pay restitution for Topper’s boat.”

“No, _I_ do,” Pope snapped. “Stop putting it all on you, JJ! You don’t deserve it.”

”I’m the one that created the idea. You’re the one who’s going to have a future. If I pay the restitution with this money, then you’ll be okay.”

”We can work for it. If we get the gold out of the well, then we can use that, too.”

The blond boy scoffed, gripped the bag tighter and said, “God, Pope. Do you actually think we’re going to successfully get the gold without getting in any trouble?”

”Might as well think it,” he yelled back, “We risked _everything_ for it.”

”Right,” he nodded but didn’t say anything else about that. “Fuck, Pope.. we have nothing! We’re just little Pogues, man. This money can help.”

Jaw tightening, Pope said, “It’s not your money, JJ. You can’t keep doing shit like this. You can’t keep on getting yourself in more trouble.”

“It _is_ my money. Did you know that Barry is the one whose been selling my dad coke for so long? Half of that money is rightfully mine!” 

And _goddamn_ it, Pope forgot about that and how JJ knew that Barry sold his dad coke and if he wasn’t addicted maybe.. maybe..

“Don’t,” he started, “Don’t think about that, please. Just.. stop, JJ. Enough of your shit. John B and Kie were right. We’ve had it. I’m trying to be a good friend keeping this group together and alive but you’re doing the opposite. Listen, I know you’re trying.. but we love you, _I_ love you and want you to be safe. We can’t have you doing all this dumb shit like pulling a gun on Topper or getting into fights on the daily. Just _stop_. Please. For me?”

Maybe it was the anger in Pope’s voice or the sadness at the end but with two hands out in front of him, face forward as he locked eyes with a blue eyed boy, he felt a bag inside of his hands.

”I’m sorry..”

”It’s okay, JJ. It’s okay,” he reassured his best friend holding out one hand again, missing the warmth he had just a few minutes before he felt a hand inside of his again. With two hands together, they walked back to Barry’s shitty house to run in and put it back before running away again.

They ran until they got to the Chateau. Nobody was there so Pope guessed they were out doing something for the gold.

And that was how the two ended up in the spare room where they giggled and laughed about anything. Pope would sneak in a few random facts like how turtles breath from their butts and JJ just couldn’t stop looking at him.

Pope was perfect. 

Okay, Pope didn’t see it but everyone knew it and JJ thought he could never love Pope more. He was wrong.

Pope had pretty brown eyes, teeth so white and a smile blinding. It sent JJ’s heart out of his chest every time he saw his face.

JJ wanted to be able to tell Pope how perfect he was. How much he loved him because he couldn’t do this any longer. Not when Pope is right there next to him, laughing and smiling like that.

Goddamn.

He was so into his thoughts that he didn’t here Pope say, “Hey, JJ, you okay?”

”I’m fine, Pope. All cool.”

”You sure? Cuz you’ve been daydreaming a lot lately.”

_Yeah, about you. Your perfect smile and your hair and your lips and your eyes._

”Just distracted about shit, you know?”

”Yeah.. I do,” Pope nodded, “I love you, you know that?” 

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> they kissed after that 🥰


End file.
